Penitentiary
by AlwaysYourAibou
Summary: The shadow realm can play mind tricks and force anyone to loose their sanity. Pharaoh Atemu is no different and has eternity for his soul to be tortured by the shadows. But who says eternity means forever? Atemu's transition in the millennium puzzle.


A/N~ If you ever wanted and explanation as to why puzzleshipping is so popular, perhaps this can explain it. I own nothing, not YGO, not this computer I am using to type this, and not this shirt I am wearing. It's actually my new friend XLight ForeverX. She gave me this idea. She interns at my high school. Freaking awesome. Anyways, on with the fiction. Maybe a little long but I think it conveys the point. Be warned this is a graphic fic. Please heed this warning.

Mana grasped her friend tightly and shook her head in a constant motion of despair. "Why?! Why?!" She screamed over and over again, tears rolling down her face. "Why do you have to go? It's not fair! This isn't your fault and should not be thy burden to bear!" She exclaimed, clutching her befriended royal close to her.

The royal teen sighed and wrapped his arms about his friend. "Though it may not make sense to you now, there is a reason I must take this path. As king of Egypt, it's my burden to bear. I will not allow any harm to come to my people because of the mistakes of so few." The king explained, trying to console his lifetime friend. "I made a promise to my father."

Mana looked up at him with fearful eyes. "But you'll never return!" She sobbed. "Isis says that there is no future for you if you go through with this! You're soul with forever be trapped in the shadows and your memory forever blank! How can you be so calm about that? How can you be so willing to give thyself?" She cried into the shoulder of her friend.

Pharaoh Atemu sighed. "I know of my fate. I am never see light again but light will forever remain with me. As long as you remember me and what I have sacrifice myself for, I will forever remain alive." He said with a small smile.

Mahado, dressed in the attire of the dark magician, came out from behind the cloak of the shadows and bowed before his superior and his friend. "The preparations have been made. Your tomb is ready for your ceremony. All that remains is the ritual." He said in a choking manner.

The king let go of the sobbing girl and knelt beside Mahado. He placed a hand on his shoulder, causing his servant to look up at him in shock. Pharaoh Atemu smiled kindly and forced his closest priest to rise with him. "Promise to take care of yourself, my friend." He commanded in a soft tone. "I want no remorse from you. Do your job of showing your students the magic of this world and the next. They shall learn great things from you."

Mahado bit his lip as to not break down in front of his king. Pharaoh Atemu understood that this was just as hard for his friends to witness as it was for him to go through with, the sealing of his soul in order to forever lock away the shadows. The very creatures that helped his father bring peace to his nation were now forcing it apart in harsh battles of dark magic. It hadn't been easy, but the Pharaoh knew that the only way the shadows would ever be satisfied was if they were given a powerful soul to feed on for eternity. Deciding for that soul to be his was a decision no one seemed to understand. Being king, Pharaoh Atemu could have given this dreadful punishment onto anyone he chose and no one would have had the right to deny him. However, the king of Egypt knew that no soul but his own would be powerful enough.

Mahado looked at the ground. "Your name has been erased from all records. As you have requested, no one shall know of your existence." He informed the young king, a single tear streaming down his face. No one questioned why for it was very well known that erasing the name of anyone in the culture meant that that person had done something so dishonorable that they didn't even deserve the name they were given. It was one of the most degrading things that could happen to a person.

Pharaoh Atemu didn't view it in this manner. Erasing his name from all memories and records was merely a safety mechanism to protect what he was sacrificing himself for. Since the key to releasing zorc, the dark one, was the king's name, destroying all evidence of it would ensure that the dark god would never be called on again.

Mahado cleared his throat. "My king, are you certain you wish to not remember anything? Not even the name the gods blessed you with?"

Pharaoh Atemu sighed and shook his head sadly. "I cannot risk having such information within my mind. It is far too much of a risk." He stated. It was true and his friends knew that. Being tortured in the shadow realm for years could affect his mind greatly. The only way to ensure that he himself didn't slip his name in hope that it would end his suffering was by erasing the key to his very escape. Though it was a harsh and cruel thing to think about, it was the only method that made sense.

Mana again attached herself to her friend. "Have you any idea how much we will miss you?" She asked, tears still flowing from her eyes.

Pharaoh Atemu smiled gratefully. "I shall miss all of you as well." He admitted, looking between his two friends. He suddenly noticed that they were no longer alone. All his priests were behind Mahado now, gloomy looks over their sun-kissed faces. The Pharaoh smiled encouragingly. "Why the grief, my friends? We are upholding my father's legacy! We should not be mournful but grateful for the opportunity."

Isis stepped forward. "Your father would be very proud of you, my Pharaoh." She smiled kindly, pain evident in her soft voice. "I am sure his light will forever shine down on this kingdom because of your decision."

Pharaoh Atemu nodded. He straightened and let go of his hug on Mana. "Shall we?"

Mana gave on last sniff before giving her friend one last death grip of a hug. "I bid you farewell." She said before letting go and running off the balcony in which they stood, out of sight of the priests so they would not judge her weak emotional state. Little did she know that none of them would have judged her for they all felt the grief she was holding in her heart.

Mahado and the rest of the priests followed their leader through the palace. This was the last trip their king would make in his house and no one wanted to ruin it with tears or speech. All remained quiet until the chamber in which the ritual being accomplished was approached. Mahado followed Pharaoh Atemu with a brightly lit torch the light the way for his king.

Upon entering the chamber, the king saw that everything was set. A sarcophagus lay in the back of the room as well as the preparation tables and items for his burial. In the center of the room, a rather large altar stood, surrounded by the millennium items. The items lined a circle around the alter forming the symbol of the black magic they were about to perform for the last time.

The priests took their position by their items and awaited the next move of the king. All secretively wanted to king to coward out of his decision but at the same time, all knew that weakness did not run in the king's blood. Once his mind was made up, it was made up and there was no talking him out of it. Pharaoh Atemu walked over to the altar and blinked slightly at the ropes that were set on the edge of the stone alter. Mahado seemed to understand his confusion and quickly explained, "This ritual may be a painful one. It may be necessary to…" He searched for the right word in a pause, "…secure you, in order to proceed."

Pharaoh Atemu nodded seriously. "Do whatever be necessary to make sure the ritual goes correctly. Just to make sure, no one will remember my name after I have been sealed correct? Not even myself?" All priests nodded. Pharaoh Atemu sat on the edge of the altar and lay down. "My mind shall be erased as soon as the sealing as been complete. Then you shall perform my burial ceremony." Silence. The king sighed. "I bid thee luck, my priests. Take care of Egypt. Seto, see to it that peace is restored in Egypt."

Seto grunted in approval but kept his mouth shut. He had not agreed with the ritual method and refused to be crowned at first. However, a few convincing sentences from the current king made the high priest change his mind.

Mahado gently took the ropes and secured them around the king's feet and arms. Some ropes went around his waist and one secured his neck to the altar. Pharaoh Atemu took one last look at the priests around him before balling his hands into fists and closing his eyes to the light forever. "Proceed." Was the only word the king could think of.

Mahado closed his eyes and raised his arms. He started chanting a spell that in a language that made no sense to the king. Pharaoh Atemu didn't care though. He knew that his trusty priest would perform the ritual the way he wanted. Atemu could see lights flickering behind his closed lids and braced himself for the pain that was about to wreck his body. Sure enough it came just as predicted. At first, the pain was just subtle and truly didn't hurt as much as the king thought it would.

Isis lifted the puzzle above her head as the millennium items began to glow. Mahado's voice became louder and Atemu felt his teeth clench. The pain was becoming quite intense. It felt as if his body temperature was heating until the point that his blood was boiling. He grunted his discomfort as the lights flickering around him grew brighter. A sharp pain in his abdominal cavity made him shout out in pain. His feet starting kicking in attempts to distract him from the pain he was experiencing. Out of breath, the king panted quickly as the burning sensation erupted into full blown fire. He screamed and pulled that the ropes holding his arms in place.

The Pharaoh had no really expected any different. He knew the process was going to be painful. Having the soul ripped from a body not yet dead was a painful process. The priests could not risk killing him and then sealing his soul in the confines of the millennium puzzle for his soul might have already found its resting place. Atemu cried out again as he felt an invisible hand ripping out his heart. It was going to over soon he told himself. It had to be. Pharaoh Atemu tried to think of all the reasons why he was doing this in the first place. That helped.

Isis gazed at the body writhing in pain and winced as it coughed scarlet blood all over its royal attire. She tightly held the puzzle and chanted her part of the spell. She quickly gave one last look at the king before taking the puzzle and smashing it to pieces. The effect caused the king to cry out in anguish as his soul was torn from his body to the pieces of the separated puzzle.

Pharaoh Atemu felt nothing but cold and saw nothing but darkness. He pain seemed to have subsided and was no longer as painful as he had experienced just seconds ago. He opened his eyes and waved his hands in front of his face. He could see nothing. The king stood and listened. Everything was quiet. A sudden voice caught his attention. "Isis?" He called out. He could hear her very clearly. She was saying how the process had been complete.

The king paused. How was he able to remember her voice? Panic ran through his veins as he realized the spell must have gone wrong. He could remember everything, including his name. Pharaoh Atemu stood on shaky legs and listened as Mahado started reading scripts that was ensure his body would be protected and preserved over time. They were starting the burial ceremony. The Pharaoh blinked as he felt something cold at the tip of his nose. He took his hand and touched his nose to find nothing there. He blinked in confusion as the cold feeling traveled up his nose.

Suddenly, he felt a painful sensation in his head. It felt as if something was ripping out a part of his brain. Pharaoh Atemu sunk to his knees and growled in absolute agony as he clutched his head in his hands. Something had gone terribly wrong with the spell. Not only did he remember everything about his past, he could still feel himself attached to his body.

After what seemed like hours, the painful sensation in his head numbed and the former king was able to lift his head up. He felt something dripping out of his nose and could smell and taste metal in his mouth. The spell had definitely not been performed correctly if he was tasting blood. The former king suddenly cried out in pain as he felt as if the side of his abdomen was being ripped into. He clutched his side and rolled over, writhing from the agony he was in. He was living through his mummification process. How was that possible? What kind of hell did he allow himself to become a part of?

He felt as if he was going to throw up and the former king cried out constantly as his insides were being ripped from him. He starting feeling faint from the constant punishment of pain he was receiving. He laid down on the cold, stone ground and pulled himself together. Breathing in and out, he allowed his mind to take him away. Eventually, though he was unsure how, he was able to fall into a deep sleep.

* * **********

"Atemu, wake up!" A voice called out to him. It sounded so familiar. "Atemu, come on you lazy bum!" The voice said more sternly this time.

Pharaoh Atemu opened his eyes to see Mana kneeling beside him. His eyes widened as he sat up quickly. He gazed around the room to see a labyrinth in which the inside of the millennium puzzle was supposed to look like. The cold gray stones were not the most comforting thing in the world but it was better than the fires of hell, right? The pain the king had been feeling was gone as well. He blinked and looked at Mana. "Mana, what are you doing here?" He asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.

The girl giggled. "I'm always with you!"

The former king starred at the girl. He understood what this was. This couldn't have been Mana. As powerful of the young magician was, she was not nearly powerful enough to connect with him inside the confines of the millennium puzzle. This had to be his mind, more of his memory of her. "Where are the others?" He asked as he rose to his feet, his friend following his actions.

"Around." Mana replied with no questions to reiterate with.

The former king shook his head in disbelief. "This is all wrong." He stated in his confusion. He couldn't complain though. It wasn't as if he wanted to lose the memory of his friends, he just didn't want his love for them interfering with his mission. The plus to this was the prison he was to forever be held in was now warm instead of the deathly cold he had felt earlier.

Mana glanced at him with concern in her face. "What's all wrong?"

The former king smiled. "Nothing, I just didn't expect to remember all of you."

Mana smiled. "Let's go find the others! They missed you!"

The spirit furrowed his brow. "But I have only been gone a mere few hours."

"So?" The girl giggled and took the hand of her friend. She led him down a dark hallway. "I last saw master Mahado in this room! I hope he didn't wonder off again." She explained as she opened the door. The room was very dark and the spirit could make out nothing in the blackness. "This is his room. He should be here. Master Mahado!" She yelled.

"What do you mean, his room?"

"Well, this is where he stays. He says that he shouldn't leave. My room is down the hall. Mast Mahado got mad at me from leaving the room. I don't care. I told him I wanted to find you!" She said in a sing-song voice.

The room suddenly lit up, torches found on either side of the room. The figure of Mahado sat in the middle of the room. His eyes were closed and his facial expression was enclosed in pure concentration. He opened his eyes when he felt the presence of his friends. He smiled when his eyes met the spirit of his friend. "I'm glad to see you are okay, my king."

The spirit could not help but smile. He was beginning to understand this place. Each door contained a person that was a part of the former king's memory. They were figures that responded in a way that the king remembered them to respond. Mana always chirpy and Mahado always loyal. The spirit found it very interesting.

The former king stepped forward to address his friend. "Yes, thank you. I was beginning to---,"

Mahado stood suddenly and looked around wildly.

"Mahado?" the spirit questioned.

Mahado turned his face to the former king and smiled. "I knew I could not stay for long."

The spirit frowned, fear plucking at his heart for some reason. "What are you talking about?"

Before the magician could reply, the floor opened up from beneath him and the magician fell into darkness. Mana cried out and tried to jump after her master but the spirit, also horrified, pulled her back and out of the room. He slammed the door shut and backed away fearful.

Mana and the spirit starred at the door for the longest time. They both turned to each other and frowned. "What were we doing here?" the spirit asked, looking around.

Mana shrugged. "I have no idea."

The spirit felt a knot form at the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right. He felt as if he was forgetting something very important but he couldn't put his finger on it. He looked around and blinked. He was going crazy. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he started down the hallway. "Come on, Mana. This may be my prison but I am certain there must be something to do around here."

"We should find the others." Mana stated.

The spirit stopped and turned around. "What others?"

Mana blinked. "What?"

"You said others. What others?"

Mana cocked his head to the side. "I have no idea. I guess I am saying things just to say things."

"You do that often." The king smiled and continued down the hallway.

"Wait for me!" She shouted and skipped after him.

The spirit kept walking but looked around wearily. It was getting very cold for some reason. He stopped. "Mana I think we should turn around. Something doesn't seem right about---,"

"Atemu!" He heard a scream from behind him. He whirled around to see Mana being dragged away from him. A black shadow wrapped around her ankle and had successfully dragged her to the floor. "Help!" She screamed, trying to grab onto the floor. It didn't help. Her finger nails were started to break and blood streaked the floor that she was trying to hold onto so desperately.

The spirit was quick to act and grabbed Man's hand, pulling with all his might. The shadow growled and hissed in anger, aggravated that it didn't get its sacrifice so easily. "Let go of her!" the former king yelled, pulling hard to save his friend. What was going on? Who was this shadow beast and why was it trapped in the puzzle with him? With another jerk, the shadow let go of its captive's legs and loudly roared.

Mana quickly stood and the spirit led her down the hallway as quickly as possible. "What was that thing?" Mana screamed as they rounded the corner and opened the door to another room in the prison.

The former king was frantic. This had to be the puzzle's doing, there was no other explanation. It was trying to take Mana away from him. It was trying to take his memory away. "It wants you."

Mana gaped. "It wants your memories."

Something caught the former king's attention on the other side of the room they were standing in. A vortex of some sort appeared on the opposite wall and a hand stretched out. Before the spirit could think of what to do, it grabbed Mana and started dragging her away. The king grabbed her hands again and tried to pull her back. The girl screamed out of fright but quickly turned her body towards the shadow hand. She concentrated and the spirit knew she was trying to perform a spell. That would get them out of this mess. She gasped and the shadow tugged harder. A loud wind sound entered the room, so loud that it made both feel they would go deaf. "Your powers!" the former king shouted.

"I can't use them!" the girl shouted back. "Something is wrong!"

The king held fast on his grip but his hands were becoming sweaty. "Don't go." He whispered and knew his friend could not hear him. "Please."

The shadow hissed and tugged one last time. Mana was pulled free of the spirit grip and screamed as she was taken into the vortex. The former king ran and tried to stop the vortex from closing but it was gone by the time he got there.

Silence.

The spirit starred at the wall in confusion. What was he doing just now? He looked around and shivered. It had gotten really cold all of a sudden and it was getting darker. The spirit sat on the floor. He felt very lost. A growl made him look up quickly. "Who's there?" He demanded.

"Who are you?"

"I am the king of Egypt!" He declared. "Show yourself!"

Another growl and the room seemed to grow darker. The spirit squinted his eyes as the growl seemed to grow closer. "Who are you?" the inhuman hiss asked again. The former king stood and prepared himself for battle.

"I am Atemu!" He shouted back.

The cold was almost cruel now. The spirit shivered and backed up, trying to see in the thickening blackness. Before he could take another step, something wrapped itself around his wrists and ankles. In one harsh pull, the bounds pulled him to the floor. The former king yelped as he was forced to the ground by ice cold steel. "Who are you?" the hiss came again.

"I am the king of Egypt!" He repeated himself out of anger now.

His head was pounding as he the shadows encased his body, causing him to cry out in pain. It wasn't the burning sensation he had felt before. This pain was different. They were destroying his mind, breaking down the barriers, and he could feel it. "Who are you?!" The growl became a roar.

"Atemu!" He cried, writhing in attempts to get away from the pain.

His head hurt so badly. He bit his lip so hard he could taste blood in his mouth. This seemed to fuel the shadow's anger. The spirit could feel their wrath harshly pouncing on him. "Who are you?!" The shadows screamed. Pain erupted at every end of the spirit's body. "Who are you?!"

Something within the spirit snapped and an anguished cry escaped his lips. The shadows shrieked in delight as the king lay limb on the cold stone, with a shortness of breath.

"Who are you?" the shadows whispered.

The spirit concentrated hard, trying to recall what they were asking. "I…"

'Who are you?"

The king tried to move but the shadows holding him allowed him no movement. "I…." He shook his head, spitting blood into the blackness. "I don't know."

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How long had he been trapped in this cold? Days? Weeks? Years? Decades? He couldn't tell. The spirit had no sense of time any longer. He breathed slowly as hissed and growls could be heard all around him. He shivered and this hissed when painful sensations dug into his back. They felt like claws but the spirit had no way of knowing for sure.

Suddenly, there was something new. There was something different in the air that he couldn't seem to put his finger on. Something was calling out to him. He could feel….warmer. The spirit sighed and lifted his head. He squinted and thought he made out what could be the door. Someone. There was someone handling the puzzle. But who? No one was supposed to find the puzzle let alone solve it. The spirit ignored the hissing of the shadows and sat up slowly. Could it be that someone figured out a way to release him from his prison?

There was light and the spirit could see it. It was beautiful. The spirit breathed heavily as he waited, tears flowing down his face. The shadows around him grew angry and growled. "You know nothing. You are nothing." They taunted as they had done so since he first arrived in that room.

The spirit shook his head. There was someone trying to solve the puzzle, someone trying to save him. The light was becoming strong. The shadows hissed and moaned around him. "You'll never escape!" They screamed in anger. "You belong to us now!"

Suddenly, the light was fading away. He could hear screams from outside the door. Cries of absolute anguish throbbed in his ears as the spirit realized his escape to his hell was being killed quickly. "Wait!" He tried to yell but his voice came out as a mere rasping sound. He swallowed and tried to scramble his way towards the door but the shadows screamed at his and dragged him back. "No!" He yelled. "Come back!" The cries of the person trying to rescue him started to subside and the spirit struggled against the binds holding him back. "Please! Don't leave me here!" He shouted, tears running down his face.

The cried stopped and absolute darkness returned. The spirit screamed in heart shattering agony and he felt the shadows grinning in victory. He continued squirming even though he knew his rescuer had died off already. He pounded his fists into the cold stone and twisted every which way. He was bleeding profusely now but it matter not to him. He was dead and was going to forever remain that way. The shadows growled in their pleasure. "You're pain is our victory. You'll never escape."

Tears streamed down his face as he allowed himself to fall limb in the arms of the cold creatures keeping him there. They petted his hair and whispered things to him that he wished he could never understand. "We'll forever be with you. You can't run away from us. You belong to us. We feed on your pain, we feed on your soul."

The spirit said nothing and closed his eyes. This was his fate. He would forever remain here, trapped in hell for something he could not remember doing.

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Many attempts had come and gone. There had been so many times that someone handled the puzzle and the shadows had attacked them voraciously, causing them death, pain, and the loss of their mind. The spirit never opened his eyes anymore. There was no point if everything he saw gave him false hope. Every flicker of light made him believe that someone cared. It made him believe that someone was coming to get him.

As usual the shadows growled at him and clawed his entire body, demonstrating who owned him. The spirit had forever given up hope of ever being released. This was his fate and he had to accept it. This was his hell.

From behind closed eyelids, the spirit saw a flicker of light. He moaned and moved away from the light. Not again. He allowed a tear to fall down his cheek as the shadows hissed at the person again, handling the puzzle. The spirit allowed his mind to drift. For the first time in a long time, he had had a dream. He remembered it vividly. His advisor had come to him in his tomb. He had almost fallen off the edge of the bridge of the spirit saved him. He had thought for certain that his most trusted guardian had come back to save him. However, when he blinked, he was again in his prison.

The light seemed to grow brighter but the spirit paid no attention. The shadows became angry as usual and stirred around the cold body they were protecting. They tried fighting off the light that was attempting to rescue their feast. The spirit sighed and curled into the fetal position. All of his sanity was gone now and there was no point in calling out for help. "You are nothing" The shadows reminded him and he only nodded.

He felt warm. The spirit opened his eyes and cringed. Why was this happening to him? What had he done so terrible to deserve such a fate and such torture? He let out another moan and tried to get his mind off the warmth that was taunting him so. He felt as if it was crying out to him, "Come find me! I need you!"

The spirit let out a sigh. "Go away." He whispered. "Just leave me alone."

The creatures about him growled. This caught the spirit's attention for it was not a growl he was used to hearing. It sounded as if they were more angry than usual. The spirit turned towards the door and starred at the light coming through the cracks and into his prison. He could actually make out the shadow beasts lunging at the door. Monsters of all kinds gathered in hopes of eliminating the light invading their turf.

"Let me be." The nameless spirit whispered with no emotion in his voice.

The shadows shrieked and stirred more. At this, the spirit blinked in hope. This light was a lot brighter than the ones before. Could it be…? No! The spirit closed his eyes tightly and buried his face into the crook of his elbow. This was no different. He was never going to be saved from the wrath of the shadows because he was nobody. He was a poisoned soul tossed out long ago.

More warmth started to filter into his prison, melting the ice the spirit was sure covered his wrists and ankles. "What?" the spirit questioned no one in particular and shifted into an upright position. It was his turn to be curious and ask the question, "Who are you?" He asked in mystery and hope. He sensed something he hadn't felt in a long time, innocence. Who was this mysterious person trying to save him?

The shadows grew impatient and practically declared war. The spirit felt them tug at his bounds and pull him back, away from the light.

"No!" he screamed, digging his fingernails into the floor.

The creatures hissed and the spirit could make out their horrid forms starring into the same blinding light he was. He also could sense something from them that he could have cried in relief at. They were scared. Whatever this light, whoever this light was, it frightened the shadows that kept him prisoner. Again, they tugged the broken spirit further into his hell.

The light became brighter. Some of the monsters let go of the spirit's legs and ran away into the other doors in the room he had been kept in for thousands of years. The spirit frantically struggled to break free of the monsters hold and get to that light. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he reached it but it wasn't something he was going to think too deeply about. Anything to feel that warmth on his skin, to not shiver from the cold, to be able to see a sunset again, would be well worth the sacrifice. "Please." He whispered. "Help me."

With one last jerk of his energy, he broke free from the chains that had held him in place for what seemed like forever. The spirit bound to his feet and immediately fell to the floor from the weakness of not moving for millennium. Quickly, wanting to escape the beasts before they could get a hold of him, he bolted towards the door that was hiding him from that heavenly light. He grasped the handle and tried to fling it open but it wouldn't budge. He pounded his fists against the door in panic. Was this so kind of trick?

With closer inspection, the forgotten soul saw ice encasing the hinges of the door, keeping it glued to its spot. He scratched at the door, not knowing what else to do. He turned warily to see the beasts smashed against the opposite wall. This couldn't be a trick. The damned monsters were terrified of the light invading their hell. What was different about this person, this soul?

Staying as closer to the door as possible, the lost soul sat down and kept his head pressed against the door. The door was warm. The spirit felt tears of relief flow down his face. He couldn't think of a time when he felt this before. It made him sleepy and want to curl up under the wings of peaceful dreams, whatever they were. He closed his eyes and allowed his fingertips to trace patterns on the door. "Find me." He whispered, before allowing his drowsiness to consume him.

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The spirit didn't know how long he had been sleeping before his eyes snapped open. He looked around in shock when he noticed that the room was lit like it would have been if the sun was shining. He gazed at the wall where his captors had been to find them gone. What had woke him up?

He could hear something. It was hissing…or maybe growling of some kind, no..it was a voice. It was not the songs of beasts but a real human voice. A child? "Hey alright! Maybe this one next?" It questioned. A child was solving the puzzle, they key to releasing him from his prison? It didn't matter, it was a human voice, a sound he thought he would never hear again. The spirit rested his head on the door and sighed. He was going to be saved. For some odd reason, he had faith in the child saving him from his hell. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he could trust the innocent one and that he would bring him life he had been deprived of for so many years.

More warmth filtered in as he heard the child say, "Yeah! Only one more to go." A pause as the spirit narrowed his eyes. It was a boy who couldn't have been any more then the age of 15 summers. The spirit shuddered at the thought of 'only one more to go'. Did this mean he was almost free? "I can't believe I've almost solved the millennium puzzle!" the angelic voice cried out in pride.

"Grandpa is sure going to be surprised when he sees I figured out the puzzle all by myself." The boy said, making the spirit chuckle. He stood on shaky legs and pulled at the door knob. It almost turned but still would not open. "The last piece" the voice rang through his room.

Sudden growls and hisses forced the spirit to turn quickly to the opposite side of the room. There must have been hundreds of monsters everywhere. Shadow beats lined the room waiting for the opportune moment to pounce. The spirit quickly tugged at the door knob, they were not going to take him again.

"This is it." The voice said. Sudden heat entered the room and when the spirit opened his eyes to the blinding light, he saw why. The door had been flown open and he was now on his back on the floor. All hell let loose. The monsters lunged at him. The spirit stood quickly, prepared to defend himself but instead of fighting him, they flew through the door.

"Awesome! I did it! The millennium puzzle is complete!" The voice exclaimed. The spirit turned as he began to see things that we not in front of him. There was a boy…who looked exactly like him? He was smaller with amethyst color eyes and he was holding the completed millennium puzzle. He was in some strange room and there were….no. The spirit blinked and looked around as he realized his prison was now empty. "Hey! What's going on?! What gives?" The boy seemed to cry out.

Fear and anger erupted through the spirit as he heard the boy cry out in terror as the forms of monsters and shadow beasts entered his room. The boy shook with fear and as a smaller fuzz of a monster walked by him. It turned and with a toothy and evil screech, lunged at the child. The spirit ran through the door. They were after him savior! They were after the boy who had rescued him. If they killed him like the others, the spirit would be trapped again and another innocent would pay the price. This light, his light would be gone forever, trapped in the shadows for all eternity. This could not be allowed. They were not to lay a hand on the innocent one.

Closing his eyes, the spirit willed himself into the world using the boy who just released him as a vessel. The spirit, for the first time in a long time, felt power rush flow through him. He commanded the shadows again. He couldn't remember when he last did but he knew that he had before. This power was familiar to him. He opened his eyes to see the beasts recognize him and take a lunge for him. A circle of light appeared around him. Picking up the rope to the puzzle, the spirit held out his hand. "Shadow creatures, be gone! I command you!" Using the light from the boy's soul combined with his shadow magic, the creatures were hit with light that was poison to their very existence. "Return from the dark realm from wence you came!" He demanded.

In a blink of raging light, the creatures and the spirit returned to the millennium puzzle, the boy allowed to take control of his own body once again. The spirit hung by the door leading to the outside world and watched the boy. He didn't know how or why, but somehow his mind had combined with the innocent one when he took over. He could hear his thoughts and watch his actions even when he wasn't in the outside world. The spirit smirked as the boy looked wildly about the room and then at the puzzle now hanging around his neck. He picked it up, wondering how it somehow became attached by rope.

Chuckling softly, the spirit watched the boy take a seat on the bed and think through what he thought happened. The spirit was amazed by the boy. There was no time to be weak, no time for tears, and absolutely no time for pity. This boy needed him. A thought traveled through the boy's mind and into the spirit's. _Puzzle, please grant my wish. Give me a true friend._ No matter what happened, no matter what creature or person, no one would ever lay a hand on the person who saved him from hell. Never.

FIN

A/N~ I hope you liked it. I know it was long but yeah. _**Please review.**_ I mean I don't want to get on my knees and bed but really. Please review this. It would mean a lot to me.


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